New Delhi: Army Chief Bipin Rawat has been appointed as Chief of Defense Staff. He was appointed as the Joint Chiefs of Staff when he retired on December 31. The appointment was approved by the Union Cabinet Committee. The Joint Chiefs of Staff is for three years. In a notification issued by the Ministry of Defense, the Chief of Defense said the age limit was 65 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced his appointment as joint chief of the Navy, Air Force and Navy in his Independence Day speech. General Rawat was the first officer to hold the position of Chief of Defense Staff.
Bipin Rawat's political remarks were a controversial one, criticizing the protests in the country over the amendment of the citizenship law. Following this, opposition parties came out against him.
Who is the Joint Chief of Staff? What are the powers and why are they criticized?
When India's first Joint Chiefs of Staff, Bipin Rawat, who is the head of the army, is worried about whether the country will abandon its military policy. Seventy-three
Addressing the nation on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will have a joint chief of staff or chief of defense staff. Since then, there has been a lot of debate about this toxicity. The decision was made by the government to co-ordinate operations between the two armies and make the three forces more effective.
Defense experts in support of the government's move point out that the arrival of the CDS will in principle not affect the existing civil-military relationship. The Supreme Commander of the Army is the President. He does so on the advice of the Cabinet. The Security Council of the Cabinet of Ministers receives advice on security matters through the Prime Minister's Security Advisor. He is the head of the National Security Advisory Board. The security advisor is a civilian officer. His duties include military, non-military, diplomatic and internal security matters.
The CDS is responsible for providing military advice to the Cabinet. This is different from the job of a safety advisor. In military matters only, the CDS advises the Cabinet.
Joint Chief of Staff
The new CDS appointments are in the ranks of all three army chiefs. He has no commanding authority over military operations. No commander of commanders, not even a jawan, would have operational authority.
Supporters of the government's move point out that the need for a joint commander in the sixties has been needed. After the Kargil war in 1999, K Subramaniam had called for an expert panel headed by a cabinet committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who examined the report. This is a military reform proposed by the Naresh Chandra Committee in 2011 and then by the Lieutenant General Shekatkar Committee.
He is currently serving as the General of the Army, Admiral of the Navy, and the Air Chief Marshal for Star Officers of the Air Force. They have four stars on the top of their car's numberplate and the uniform collar.
They have a five-star rank according to the rank structure of the Army, the Field Marshal for the Army, the Admiral of the Fleet for the Navy, and the Marshall of the Air Force. Although these ranks are in many foreign armies, they do not really exist in India. (Army Chiefs Sam Manek Shah, KM Kariyappa, and Air Force Chief Arjun Singh have been given this post as a mark of respect after their retirement).
Many have observed that the person who carries this five-star rank is the CDS. But most of the committees that wanted the CDS did not. The only suggestion was that a fourth officer of the same rank (ie a four star) would be required of all three commanders. Bipin Rawat is currently a four star rank officer.
Why criticism
The CDS had objections from three levels. One, from the political level. In the post-independence era, political leadership lacked confidence in the military. It was a time when the military took power in many newly independent countries, toppling the democratic system of government. Until recently, the policy adopted by the government was to keep the military as far away as possible. Political observers estimate that a general coup for all three armies is likely to result in military coup.
The CDS is facing opposition from the military itself. Many expert groups argued in favor of the CDS system but were fundamentally opposed to the Air Force. They were concerned that the Army would gain prominence in the CDS system. This obstacle has recently been overcome by the Air Force.
Why the fourth one?
There are two main roles for commanders.
1) Operational Commander of the Army. (2) A person who advises the State on the determination of war doctrines and long-term weapons requirements. Giving this advice is not straightforward. Through the Secretary of Defense and the Minister of Defense.
The CDS envisions a system where the top military officer himself will study the needs of the three forces, study them with the help of his expert staff and direct the administration.
How is planning currently?
Currently, the Chiefs of Staff Committee has 3 members who discuss military matters. The most senior of the three (first to head) will be its chairman. After discussing the functioning and the future of the army, these three are the ones who will be in charge of the administration. All three often have three interests.
This is where the role of CDS is. CDS is a person who advises the government on the best aspects of all three proposals (low cost, easy to implement and does not affect other diplomatic relations). With the establishment of the CDS, Commander-in-Chief will oversee the day-to-day operations and command of the Army.
Why equal ranks?
If CDS is appointed to a five star rank, his orders will be in accordance with the quadruple star commanders. That's the military precedent. Over time it will become a commanding authority. The CDS will begin to command troops. On the other hand, if you are of equal rank, you can disagree. Moreover, the command of the military (for operational purposes) rests with the chiefs.
Reduce defense costs
Another major responsibility of CDS is to integrate the needs of all three forces. Every army has a tradition of asking for what they need. This often leads to doubling and wastage. Meanwhile, in the CDS tradition, the three heads will jointly discuss the matter with the fourth. CDS can make the right decision. This can significantly reduce the cost of defense.
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